Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yohope’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yohope’, characterized by its upright plant habit; dark green-colored foliage; freely and uniformly flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences that are about 7 cm in diameter; attractive light purple-colored ray florets; strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yohope’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yohope’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Bogota, Colombia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new cut Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable floret coloration and good inflorescence form and substance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in December, 1997, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number E935, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number D360, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Bogota, Colombia in June, 2003. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable ray floret color and good inflorescence form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Bogota, Colombia since August, 2003, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yohope have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yohope’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yohope’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright cut Chrysanthemum that is usually grown as a         naturally spray.     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences that are about 7 cm in         diameter.     -   5. Attractive light purple-colored ray florets.     -   6. Response time about 57 days.     -   7. Strong peduncles.     -   8. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage         maintaining good substance and color for about two weeks in an         interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are taller than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more freely and more         uniformly than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent         selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female         parent selection have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower slightly later than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower more uniformly than         plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Wish, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,873. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Bogota, Colombia, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Wish in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were taller than plants of         the cultivar Wish.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about eight to ten         days earlier than plants of the cultivar Wish.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Wish.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had         slightly darker colored ray florets than inflorescences of         plants of the cultivar Wish.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Yohope’ grown as a natural spray.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yohope’ grown as a natural spray.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurement describe plants grown in Oxnard, Calif. during the winter and spring in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were grown as single-stem natural spray cut Chrysanthemums. The photographs and measurements were taken when plants were about three months old.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yohope. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number E935, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedlings selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number D360, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten to 14 days with soil             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut flower that is             typically grown as a natural spray.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             112 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Internode length: about             3.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color:             148B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 10.4 cm. Width: About 7 cm. Apex: Broadly acute. Base:             Attenuate with truncate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed;             sinuses mostly parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing foliage,             lower surface: Darker than 147B. Fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: 147A; venation, 148C. Fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: Darker than 147B; venation, 148D. Petiole:             Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 148B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals, arising from leaf axils. Ray and disc florets             develop acropetally on a capitulum. Uniformly flowering.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to two weeks             of long day/short night conditions after planting followed             by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower             about 57 days later when grown as a natural spray.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about two weeks in an interior environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about 13             to 15 inflorescences per stem develop.         -   Spray width.—About 15 cm.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 2.4 cm. Receptacle height: About 7 mm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Ovate. Height: About 1.7 cm.             Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Color: 75A.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong to ligulate. Surface:             Concave. Aspect: Initially upright; when mature, mostly             perpendicular to peduncle. Length: About 4 cm. Width: About             9 mm. Apex: Acute to slightly emarginate. Base: Attenuate.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous; velvety; longitudinally ridged.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 242 arranged             in numerous rows. Color: When opening, upper surface: 78C.             When opening, lower surface: 77C. Fully opened, upper             surface: 78C; color does not fade with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 75C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 5 mm.             Diameter, apex: About 1.5 mm. Diameter, base: About 1 mm.             Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 27;             inconspicuous. Color: Immature: Close to 1A. Mature: Apex:             Close to 4A. Mid-section: Close to 13A. Base: Close to 4D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence/arrangement: About 32             arranged in about four whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 13.2 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 13.8 cm. Seventh peduncle: About 16.6 cm.             Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged.             Color: Close to 148A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 1.5 mm.             Anther color: Close to 9A. Amount of pollen: None observed.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil             length: About 5 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color:             Close to 12A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close             to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 4° C. and     high temperatures of about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yohope’ as illustrated and described. 